Category

2017 Guide

Introduction

Singapore is a modern day city-state, and despite being no more than a tiny island at the tip of Malaysia, it is home to one of the world’s premiere airlines. With help from its centrally located hub, Singapore Airlines connects passengers to and from every inhabited continent. It is efficient in its operations, and is considered to be the second largest carrier in the world, as measured by market capitalization. Continue reading “Airline Guide: Singapore Airlines”→

Introduction

Despite enduring significant financial troubles throughout the 2000s — it entered bankruptcy once and had another close call later on — Air Canada has since rebounded and is currently in the middle of a renaissance. With brand new planes, kind service, and a decent loyalty program, Canada’s flag carrier is far and away the best North American legacy carrier. Continue reading “Airline Guide: Air Canada”→

Introduction

Low cost carriers, like Southwest, JetBlue, and Spirit, play interesting roles in the landscape of the American commercial aviation industry. When Southwest Airlines was established in 1967, it made a business model focused on minimizing operating costs mainstream, and that correspondingly changed the dynamic of air travel forever. Continue reading “Airline Guide: American Low Cost Carriers”→

Introduction

For higher flyers, United Airlines arguably offers the greatest potential for enhancing your travel experiences and flying higher. Not only is it the best among the Big 3, it’s also one of the best in the world. Continue reading “Airline Guide: United Airlines”→

Introduction

Delta, by many accounts, offers the best product for day-to-day domestic travel. Of the Big 3, Delta is the only one that doesn’t genuinely suck, and no matter which cabin you’re in, it’s a fine way to get around both the country and the globe. Continue reading “Airline Guide: Delta Airlines”→

Introduction

When I’m talking with people who aren’t very familiar with higher flying, they usually ask me, “what kind of miles should I be collecting to maximize my dollar?” I get a lot of surprised looks when I say “Alaska Airlines.” I’m not naïve; the regional carrier, which primarily operates out of the Pacific Northwest, probably isn’t the first company that jumps to your mind when you think of international first class travel. Continue reading “Airline Guide: Alaska Airlines”→

Introduction

When American Airlines merged with US Airways in 2013, the two combined to become the largest carrier in the United States, at least in terms of fleet size, daily passengers, and destinations served. The process, which took several years and was finalized in April 2015, had its fair share of hiccups. Now that the dust has cleared though, higher flyers are left with the conveniences that come with a huge route network, an advantageous loyalty program, and a promising vision for future air travel in the United States. Continue reading “Airline Guide: American Airlines”→

oneSMALLworld

oneworld is the smallest of the three alliances (14 member carriers), but it is far from lacking. It provides customers exceptional coverage in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, but unfortunately it does lack in Africa. There are some excellent member airlines of oneworld too, such as Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways and Japan Airlines, which all complement American Airlines’ massive domestic route network in the United States. Although there are lots of world-class products available, they can be a bit challenging to attain with miles/points.

Key Facts

The Leftover Alliance

SkyTeam is the youngest of the three alliances, but despite that, it boasts a relatively large number of members (20). As a result, travelers can fly to most everywhere in the world (sans Oceania) with ease. Access to Europe and Asia is particularly strong, as consumers have a lot of choices. Award availability can also be pretty decent, and some programs, like FlyingBlue of Air France and KLM (and others), have some fantastic bargains, even in the United States. Bear in mind that some refer to SkyTeam as the “leftover alliance,” because some of its carriers are considered second-tier in terms of their service offerings, accommodations, and overall reputations. Be wary of this as you look to fly higher.

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About The Higher Flyer

Established in August 2016, The Higher Flyer has been committed to helping its readers understand how airline, hotel, and bank loyalty programs work. With special focus given to frequent flyer miles and reward points, the posts and pages of this website explore the ways in which they can be redeemed for top-of-the-line experiences. Some know-how, creative thinking, and discipline can turn anyone into an elite traveler: a higher flyer. Need more help? Professional consulting services are available at the companion site: THF Consulting.

THF’s Advertising Disclosure

Everything on this website is my, Paul Colins’s, unbiased work. I do not receive any special or unusual funding or compensation from airlines, hotels, banks, or any other third party. All of the writing is my own, just as my commentary is independent of anyone/anything other than myself and what I have experienced personally.

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The Higher Flyer is owned jointly by Paul Colins and The Higher Flyer, LLC. The sole and exclusive purpose of this website (i.e. thehigherflyer.org) is to entertain. The owners are not, and do not claim to be, travel agents, journalists, or certified financial planners. The published writings here are general in scope, and should not be directly applied to any one individual circumstance. Please be sure of your own financial situation before attempting to become a “higher flyer,” as the owners cannot be liable for your actions.